DUBAI: The United States will deploy a guided missile destroyer and state-of-the-art fighter jets to help defend the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after a series of missile attacks by Yemeni rebels, a US statement said on Wednesday.

The deployment, to “assist the UAE against the current threat”, follows a phone call between Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the US embassy in the UAE said.

The UAE, part of the Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthi rebels, suffered its third missile attack in consecutive weeks on Monday.

The guided missile destroyer USS Cole will partner with the UAE Navy and make a port call in Abu Dhabi, the statement said, while the US will also deploy fifth-generation fighter planes.

Other actions include “continuing to provide early warning intelligence”, it added.

The rebel attacks have opened a new front in Yemen’s seven-year war, which has killed hundreds of thousands directly or indirectly and displaced millions.

Imran backs resolution of disputes through dialogue

Three foreign workers were killed in a drone-and-missile assault targeting Abu Dhabi’s oil facilities and airport on January 17, triggering a salvo of deadly air strikes in retaliation.

On January 24, US forces stationed at Abu Dhabi’s Al Dhafra air base fire Patriot interceptors and scrambled to bunkers as two ballistic missiles were shot down over the city.

And on Monday, a third missile attack was thwarted during the visit to the UAE of Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

The US, a supporter of the Saudi-led coalition, intends the deployment to be “a clear signal that the United States stands with the UAE as a long-standing strategic partner”, the statement said.

The rebel attacks have raised Gulf tensions further at a time when international talks over Iran’s nuclear programme are stumbling, and have helped push oil prices to seven-year high.

The Houthis began attacking UAE interests after a series of defeats on the ground in Yemen, inflicted by the UAE-trained Giants Brigades militia.

In early January, the rebels seized a UAE-flagged ship in the Red Sea, saying it was carrying weapons — a claim denied by the Emirates.

Yemen’s civil war began in 2014 when the Houthis seized Sanaa, prompting Saudi-led forces to intervene to prop up the government the following year.

The UAE, one of the world’s biggest arms buyers, announced a redeployment from Yemen in 2019 but remains an influential player.

The grinding conflict has left millions on the brink of famine, according to the UN, which has called it the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan told Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan that Pakistan backs the resolution of disputes through dialogue and diplomacy, adds our Staff Reporter in Islamabad.

The two spoke over the phone following the latest Houthi missile attack against the UAE during the visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog to the Gulf State.

This was the third time that the two leaders spoke over phone this month.

Mr Khan had earlier called him after the Houthi missile and drone attack on Jan 17 and Mr Nahyan had called after the bomb attack in Lahore on Jan 20.

The Prime Minister Office (PMO) quoted Mr Khan as having told Mr Nahyan that Pakistan supports “efforts to protect and promote regional peace and security through dialogue and diplomacy”.

Mr Khan “strongly condemned” the attempted missile attack by Houthis against the UAE on January 30, the PMO said.

“The two leaders also discussed bilateral cooperation and issues of mutual interest; and agreed to continue regular and close consultations at the highest level,” the PMO added.

Published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2022